Developing an instrument to assess student readiness for online learning: a validation study

Given the continued growth in online learning as well as reports of high attrition rates in it, understanding student readiness for online learning is necessary. Over the years several surveys have been developed to assess student readiness as a predictor of success in online programs; however, a review of the literature yielded limited results of their translation and criterion‐referenced validity. The researchers of this article sought to develop a more rigorous survey instrument for students to self‐assess readiness for online learning. The authors report on findings from a three‐phase study during which the instrument was developed, evaluated, and validated. Through the process of validation, the researchers systematically engaged in an iterative process to refine the instrument, which resulted in not only a more rigorous instrument but one that more clearly defines ready and situates it within the literature on learner characteristics, digital divide, and information and communications technology (ICT) engagement.     

An inventory of peer assessment diversity

Since Topping published his literature review on peer assessment in 1998 Topping, K. 1998. Peer assessment between students in colleges and universities. Review of Educational Research, 68: 249–76. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar], the number of studies on this subject has doubled, if not tripled. However, along with this expansion, the diversity of peer assessment applications increased equally fast. Based on recent literature, this contribution focuses specifically on the diversity that has come to exist in order to update Topping's typology, adding eight variables, extending eight others with extra sub‐dimensions, and including the implementation factors. Five original variables were absorbed into larger entities, leaving 20 variables which were finally grouped into five clusters. For teachers or advisors, this inventory may be of interest as a source of inspiration or as a checklist of important decisions to make when working with peer evaluation. For researchers, it may be a guide towards covering the full scope of particularities when introducing their peer assessment design. Moreover, the framework developed in this paper might relieve the possible confusion originating from the use of a single term to cover a multitude of sometimes incompatible practices.     

Temperament and Interparental Conflict: The Role of Negative Emotionality in Predicting Child Behavioral Problems

This study examined temperamental irritability and fearful distress as moderators of the association between interparental conflict and child behavior problems in a disadvantaged sample of two hundred and one 2‐year‐old children and their mothers. Using a multimethod, prospective design, findings revealed that the relation between interparental conflict and changes in child behavior problems over a 1‐year period were moderated by temperamental irritability. Consistent with differential susceptibility theory, children high in irritable temperament not only exhibited poorer outcomes in contexts of high interparental conflict but also better adjustment in contexts of low levels of interparental conflict. Mediated moderation analyses revealed that fearful reactivity partly accounted for the greater susceptibility of irritable children, particularly in explaining why they fared better when interparental conflict was low.     

Hope,Friends, and Subjective Well‐Being: A Social Network Approach to Peer Group Contextual Effects

Research on adolescence has previously shown that factors like depression and burnout are influenced by friendship groups. Little research, however, has considered whether similar effects are present for variables such as hope and subjective well‐being. Furthermore, there is no research that considers whether the degree of hope of an adolescent's friends is associated with well‐being over the individual's level of hope. Data were collected in 2012 from a sample of 15‐year‐olds (N = 1,972; 62% Caucasian; 46% identified as Catholic; 25% had professional parents) from the East Coast of Australia. Findings suggest that individuals from the same friendship group were somewhat similar in hope and well‐being. Multilevel structural equation modeling indicated that friendship group hope was significantly related to psychological and social well‐being.     

The Historical Ideal-Type as a Heuristic Device for Academic Storytelling by Sport Scholars

The goal of this research endeavor is to take the previous calls of sport scholars to expand into alternative research approaches (e.g., history, case study, law reviews, philosophy, etc.) and to show how storytelling can be an effective tool through the use of a heuristic device. The present analysis attempts to focus on the usage of the historical ideal-type as a heuristic device for academic storytelling so that scholars within sport studies can possibly become more comfortable in other methodological approaches. To support this goal, an example of a sport-focused historical ideal-type is reviewed along with an ideal-type activity practiced in other disciplines. Finally, the contribution and employment of academic storytelling and historical ideal-types will be promoted as an important tactic to enhance the impact of a scholar’s academic findings and overall writing potential.     

Glycated nail proteins as a new biomarker in management of the South Kivu Congolese diabetics

Introduction

Diagnosis and monitoring of diabetes mellitus in sub-Saharan Africa, based on blood analyses, are hampered by infrastructural and cultural reasons. The first aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of glycated nail proteins for diabetes mellitus. The second aim was to compare the course of short- and long-term glycemic biomarkers after 6 months of antidiabetic treatment. These objectives should support our hypothesis that glycated nail proteins could be used as an alternative glycemic biomarker.

Materials and methods

This case-control study consisted of 163 black diabetics and 67 non-diabetics of the South Kivu (Democratic Republic of Congo). Diagnostic accuracy of glycated nail proteins was evaluated using ROC curve analysis. At the start of the study, glycated nail protein concentrations were compared between diabetics and non-diabetics, using a nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) colorimetric method. In a subgroup of 30 diabetics, concentrations of glycated nail proteins, fasting glucose (Accu-Chek® Aviva), serum fructosamine (NBT) and HbA1c (DCA-2000+®) were measured at start and after 6 months.

Results

ROC analysis yielded an AUC of 0.71 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.65-0.76) and a cut-off point of 3.83 μmol/g nail. Concentration of glycated nail proteins was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in diabetics in comparison with non-diabetics. After 6 months of antidiabetic treatment, a significant drop in the fasting glucose concentration (P = 0.017) and concentration of glycated nail proteins (P = 0.008) was observed in contrast to serum fructosamine and HbA1c.

Conclusions

Measurement of glycated nail proteins could be used to diagnose and monitor diabetes mellitus in sub-Saharan Africa.Key words: fasting glucose concentration, fructosamine, hemoglobin A1c protein, nails, sub-Saharan Africa, diabetes mellitus     

The role of the entry-and-stretch phase at the different paces of race in front crawl swimming

The aim of this study was to determine the role played by the entry-and-stretch phase in the coordination of swimming, at the different paces of race. Three national level swimmers (two men and one woman) were recorded, in lateral and bottom views, in three swimming paces: sprint (50 m and 100 m), middle-distance (200 m and 400 m) and long-distance (800 m and 1500 m). Anatomical landmark positions were obtained by manual digitalisation of the videos. Computational fluid dynamics and experimental studies (with a strain gauge balance and particle image velocimetry method) were used to measure and to calculate the external forces applied to the hand and to the forearm and to visualise the flow around the profile. Entry-and-stretch is the phase which varies the most according to the swimming pace. This phase can be decomposed into two sub-phases: one, the extension forward coordinated with the insweep of the opposite arm, and another one, the rotation downward coordinated with the upsweep. Results show that, at the three paces, this phase is not propulsive and could contribute essentially to maintain the horizontal balance of the body.     

Managing schools and training school managers: some concepts

The role of theory is to tell us the way things are rather than how they ought to be or how we would like them to be. (Thomas Barr Greenfield, 1980)